Advanced Associate, Customer Success in Manchester

Our mission is to partner with schools to deliver learner progression. All students from the age of 5 through to 18+ have their own individual learner journeys. Alongside their teachers, Pearson can help them make the progression most appropriate to them, whether onto Further or Higher Education, Apprenticeships, or directly into work.

Through a consultative, collaborative sales approach, we support our school customers with the right choice of products and services for their learners. The Advanced Associate, Customer Success role supports the Sales team to achieve revenue and retention targets and develop our market share through excellent customer support and consultative selling. This will be achieved through curriculum guidance, by offering qualifications, generating field appointments, providing digital solutions, and a Pearson product and service surround which exceeds expectations and meets required Standards Objectives.

This role aligns with industry-level titles such as Customer Retention Specialist (CRS). The Advanced Associate, Customer Success (CRS) will also be responsible for supporting business retention in key qualifications and learning services. This will be achieved through telephone/email contact with schools, Marketing Qualified leads, and Live-Chat support through our websites.

The Advanced Associate, Customer Success (CRS) works closely with their field and internal colleagues – Senior Partnership Managers, Subject Curriculum Managers, Senior Development Managers, and Business Development. This role is term-time only and predominantly home-based, with occasional visits to the office as required.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• To achieve agreed market penetration and retention targets against all of the key business priorities and against defined segments, products, and services.
• To work proactively with sales colleagues to provide coordinated sales activities to centres/schools.
• To provide advice, guidance, and support to centres/schools through MS-Meetings, emails, and phone channels.
• To provide effective intelligence on the customer experience.
• To compile and collate key data requirements to support revenue and retention targets.
• To support CDM’s in business growth for designated centres or campaigns, by passing leads and offering field appointments as appropriate.
• To manage an allocation of Top Priority centres/schools and secure qualification retention and upsell SLS.
• To develop specialised knowledge in key subjects/services to demonstrate to customers through online/telephone support calls.
• Business Development: Working with the wider sales team to promote the Pearson proposition to defined centres using agreed strategies which maintain and support existing business and secure defined business growth.
• Achieve and strive to surpass regional sales targets and campaign targets for maintenance and business growth in defined centres.
• Uses Salesforce system as specified.
• Provide accurate data to support market penetration and retention targets.
• Account Management: Working with schools to promote the Pearson proposition using agreed strategies to achieve market penetration and retention objectives.
• Provide management information on the schools to assist UK School sales strategies and market intelligence.
• To carry out targeted and focused activity with HOD across key stage 3, 4, and 5 for Pearson qualifications, resources, and digital products and services for the purpose of retention and new business.
• Customer Service: Respond positively to all customer enquiries and ensure outcomes are delivered within agreed service levels. Ensure necessary product knowledge of the Pearson proposition is maintained to ensure a high quality of customer services to centres.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with field and internal colleagues to ensure highest levels of customer support and maximise revenue and retention opportunities.
• Adhoc activities: Ad hoc activities to be delivered throughout specific terms in the interest of our customers. This will require flexibility with focusing on putting customer needs at the forefront.
• Other activities as agreed with the line manager.

Measures of Success:

• The achievement of agreed market acquisition and retention targets.
• The appropriate flow of materials, leads, appointments, and information to field staff and to schools.
• Effective account management of customer relationships and schools.
• Adherence to quality procedures.
• Feedback from internal and external customers.

REQUIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:

• Essential: A hard working and highly motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational skills ideally with a customer service or sales background.
• Digital skills including familiarity with Office products and mobile technologies.
• The post holder will need to work as equally alone or as part of a team.
• The individual will need to work creatively and resolve problems effectively.
• Pro-active, self-starter.
• Exceptional communication skills both written and oral.
• Numerate.
• Attention to detail.
• Goal driven.
• Adaptable.

Desirable:

• Experience of having worked in a customer service or sales role.
• Phone-based customer support experience.
• An understanding of key education initiatives in the UK.
• Knowledge and understanding of Pearson product and qualification portfolio.
• Previous experience in a digital support or sales environment.

ROLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Level 2 Qualifications or equivalent required including Maths and English (essential).
• Previous experience of phone-based sales desired in a b2b environment (desirable).
• Digital skills including familiarity with Office products and mobile technologies.

Your rewards & benefits: We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too.